Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/449

 and two chains long, and from it there are ten locks descending to the east a distance of three miles, six furlongs and three chains to a second tunnel four hundred and eighteen yards in length. At thirteen miles, three furlongs and one chain from the Bishop's Stortford Canal is a third tunnel seven hundred and four yards long, and the canal locks down by twenty-two locks in twelve miles, four furlongs and six chains from the west end of this third tunnel; at the distance of eight miles, six furlongs and seven chains from which the branch to Whaddon commences; this is near to Shelford Magna, whence to the entrance into the Cam at Clayhithe Sluice there are eight locks in a distance of ten miles, one furlong and nine chains, making a total fall of 165 feet 9 inches. The Whaddon Branch has thirteen locks.

The dimensions of the canal and branch are 5 feet in depth, 24 feet breadth at the bottom and 44 feet at the top; the summit level is the same breadth at the bottom, but 6 feet deep and 48 feet at the surface. The estimate for the main line was £523,838, including reservoirs, feeders and steam engines; of this sum £121,300 was subscribed at first in shares of £100 each. The estimate for the Whaddon Branch, including an aqueduct over the Grant or Granta River, was £44,848. The line was surveyed and laid down in 1811 by Messrs. Netlam and Francis Giles, under the direction of Mr. Rennie.

The completion of this canal will be found highly advantageous to the agricultural counties of Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Hertford, and very beneficial to the metropolis.

LOUTH CANAL.
3 George III. Cap. 39, Royal Assent 24th March, 1763.

9 George IV. Cap. 30, Royal Assent 9th May, 1828.

THE first act for making the Louth Canal was obtained in 1763, under the title of 'An Act for making a Navigation from the River Humber, by a Canal or Cut at or near Tetney Haven, to the River Ludd in the parish of Alvingham, in the county of Lincoln, and for continuing the said Navigation in or near the said River, from thence to or near the town of Louth, in the said county,'